Category: Nuclear Energy

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have continued to hear military activity in the region where Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is located, but there have been no reports of new drone attacks on the site over the past week, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

Earlier this month, a series of drone strikes targeting the ZNPP sharply heightened concerns about the already precarious nuclear safety and security situation at the plant, prompting Director General Grossi to call for an immediate end to these “reckless attacks” and maximum military restraint in an address to the United Nations Security Council on 15 April.

Three days later, on 18 April, the ZNPP told the IAEA team of experts stationed at the site that there had been another attempted drone attack on the plant’s training centre.

“We are not aware of any drone attacks since this reported incident one week ago, which is encouraging. However, we know from experience that the situation can take a sudden turn for the worse from one minute to the next. The situation remains highly unpredictable,” Director General Grossi said.

On Monday, the IAEA experts visited the training centre just outside the ZNPP site perimeter for the first time since the reported drone attacks on the building on 7, 9 and 18 April. They were not able to see its roof but were told by a representative of the training centre that it had not been damaged on this occasion. However, it had been a stressful and frightening experience for staff, the representative added.

The IAEA team did note that the training centre building was being repaired following damage it sustained in 2022, when the plant was hit several times.

The team has continued to hear outgoing artillery fire daily from locations at various distances from the ZNPP site. Last Friday, an air raid alarm was announced on the on-site speaker system instructing personnel to stay indoors, lasting for 90 minutes.

The IAEA experts have continued to conduct walkdowns across the site, where all units remain in cold shutdown. These included a visit to the reactor building and safety systems rooms of unit 3, where they observed the status of the main coolant pumps, steam generators as well as the operation of one low-pressure core cooling pump and one spent fuel pool cooling pump. They also went to the same unit’s pumping station, noting that the equipment appeared to be well-maintained.

Last Friday, they went to the turbine building of reactor unit 5 where they were able to visit areas on three levels of the building but were not allowed access to the western parts of the building.

The ZNPP separately informed the IAEA team that it is preparing to upgrade the fire protection system at the plant.

In addition, the IAEA experts this week also checked the status of the spent fuel casks in the site’s dry spent fuel storage and did not observe anything unusual, including with regards to the integrity of the seals on the casks. The experts were informed that the ZNPP conducts monthly visual inspections on the external integrity of the casks, annual integrity assessments with instrumentation to check for cracks and erosion and internal integrity checks every four years using cameras and other instrumentation.  

During recent discussions with the ZNPP regarding emergency preparedness and response, the IAEA experts were informed that an emergency drill is being prepared in the near future based on a scenario related to the cooling systems at the site, which are important for nuclear safety. The IAEA experts have informed the ZNPP about the team’s interest to observe this drill, and are awaiting notification from the plant on the date.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the IAEA teams present at the Khelmnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security is being maintained despite the effects of the ongoing conflict, including air raid alarms on several days over the past week.

Scheduled maintenance and refuelling activities are progressing at two of the four reactor units at the Rivne NPP and one unit of the South Ukraine NPP. The IAEA experts at these two sites also rotated this week.

The Agency has continued to deliver equipment for maintaining nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. Last week, Ukraine’s VostokGOK facility received equipment aimed at enhancing its physical protection and yesterday, the South Ukraine NPP received a beta spectrometer, bringing the total number of deliveries to Ukraine to 44. The equipment was procured with funding from Japan and the United Kingdom.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Poland is making progress towards adding nuclear power to its energy mix, including in developing the necessary infrastructure for a safe and sustainable nuclear power programme, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review mission.

An IAEA team of experts today concluded an 11-day mission to Poland to review its infrastructure development for the Polish Nuclear Power Programme (PNPP). The PNPP was approved in January 2014 by the Polish Council of Ministers. The establishment of nuclear power is an objective of the Energy Policy of Poland until 2040, which sets the framework for the country’s energy transition to strengthen energy security and to reduce reliance on coal power plants to meet climate goals. In 2022, the Polish Government announced that the country’s first nuclear power plant will be comprised of three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors, and it expects the first unit to be commissioned in 2033.

The Phase 2 Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) was carried out from 15 to 25 April, at the invitation of the Government of Poland, and hosted by the Ministry of Climate and Environment. The team reviewed the status of 19 nuclear infrastructure issues using the IAEA evaluation methodology for Phase 2 of the Milestones Approach, which evaluates the readiness of a country to make a knowledgeable commitment to a nuclear power programme.

Prior to the Phase 2 INIR mission, Poland prepared a self-evaluation report covering all 19 nuclear power infrastructure issues and submitted the report and supporting documents to the IAEA. The team comprised of three experts from Brazil, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, as well as seven IAEA staff.

The team identified good practices that would benefit other countries developing nuclear power in the areas of contracting approach, strategic approach to funding, early authorization of technical support organizations to support the nuclear regulator, engagement with the electrical grid operator, stakeholder involvement and industrial involvement.

“The Polish nuclear power programme was initiated with clear objectives and is progressing towards the construction stage in a structured way,” said mission team leader Mehmet Ceyhan, Technical Lead of the IAEA Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section. “We observed strong and dedicated teams in each of the key organizations that will help to achieve the government’s objectives for the PNPP.”

The team also made recommendations and suggestions aimed at assisting Poland in making further progress in the development of its nuclear infrastructure and its readiness to build the first nuclear power plant in the country. The team highlighted areas where further actions would benefit Poland, including the need to further review its legal and regulatory framework, and finalize the preparatory work required for the contracting and construction stages.

“Poland’s cooperation with the IAEA is a long-term collaboration, and the review mission is extremely valuable and beneficial for the implementation and execution of the Polish Nuclear Power Programme. We would like to thank the Agency’s experts for their commitment, professionalism and valuable opinions provided during the Phase 2 INIR mission. The conclusions we drew after talks with the Agency’s experts will allow us to improve the implementation of the Polish Nuclear Power Programme,” said Miłosz Motyka, Undersecretary of State for the Ministry of Climate and Environment of Poland.

Based on the outcomes of the INIR mission, the IAEA and Poland will update their Integrated Workplan to continue providing coordinated support in line with the future development of the country’s nuclear power programme.

In September 2023, Poland also hosted an IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service mission, which found that Poland’s nuclear regulatory framework is in line with IAEA safety standards and that its regulatory body is competent and prepared for the launch of the country’s nuclear power programme.

About INIR Missions

INIR missions are based on the IAEA Milestones Approach, with its 19 infrastructure issues, three phases (consider, prepare and construct) and three milestones (decide, contract and commission/operate). INIR missions enable IAEA Member State representatives to have in-depth discussions with international experts about experiences and best practices in different countries.

In developing its recommendations, the INIR team considers the comments made by the relevant national organizations. Implementation of any of the team’s recommendations and suggestions is at the discretion of the Member State requesting the mission. The results of the INIR mission are expected to help the Member State develop an action plan to fill any gaps, which in turn will help the development of the national nuclear infrastructure. INIR follow-up missions assess the implementation of the recommendations and suggestions provided during the main mission.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts today completed a review of long term operational safety of Unit 3 at the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Japan.

The SALTO (Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation) review mission  from 16 to 25 April was requested by the plant’s operator, Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO).

Unit 3 started its commercial operation on 1 December 1976. It underwent an outage of approximately ten years after the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power station accident in March 2011. In 2015, KEPCO applied to extend the operational period of Mihama NPP Unit 3 from 40 to 60 years until November 2036. In 2016, Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approved the extension. In 2021, Unit 3 of Mihama NPP was restarted and commenced its long term operation.

The SALTO team assessed the strategy and key elements for safe long term operation (LTO) of nuclear power plants based on the IAEA safety standards. During the ten-day mission, the team reviewed the plant’s preparedness, organization, and programmes for safe LTO. The mission was conducted by an 11-person team comprising experts from the Czech Republic, France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America as well as three observers from Finland and the Republic of Korea, and two IAEA staff members. The team had in depth discussions with staff from the Mihama NPP and conducted plant walkdowns during the review.

“The team observed that KEPCO is implementing measures for safe LTO in a timely manner and the staff at the plant are professional, open and receptive to proposals for improvement,” said team leader and IAEA Nuclear Safety Officer Martin Marchena. “Some ageing management and LTO activities already meet IAEA safety standards. We encourage the plant to address the review findings and implement all remaining activities for safe LTO as planned.”

The team identified good performances, including:

• The plant has developed and effectively implemented a comprehensive methodology for identification and management of design obsolescence. The use of this methodology constitutes a powerful tool to proactively address obsolescence issues and identify safety improvements.
• The plant has participated in benchmarking efforts related to ageing management of the steel containment and containment pressure testing and uses these benchmarking efforts to enhance the ageing management activities of the civil structures.
• The plant has put in place an effective mentoring programme using retired staff as mentors for new and current staff to develop their competencies and skills.

The team also provided recommendations and suggestions to further improve safe LTO; the most significant are the following:

• The plant should further develop and implement the LTO programme.
• The plant should fully develop and complete the Ageing Management Review process for mechanical, electrical, and Instrumentation and Control (I&C) components and civil structures.
• The plant should improve the programmes designed to confirm the resistance of components to harsh conditions, a so-called equipment qualification programme.

The plant management expressed a determination to address the areas identified for improvement and to continue its cooperation with the IAEA.

“KEPCO is wholly committed to improving upon the topics recommended and suggested through the SALTO review,” says Kazutaka Tsuru, the General Manager of Mihama Power Station. “As a pioneer in Japan’s nuclear power generation sector, we also intend to roll out the improvements to domestic nuclear power stations and contribute to maintaining and developing the country’s nuclear power generation. Harnessing the knowledge obtained from the review, we hope to make efforts to achieve higher standards with the support of IAEA members. I would like to express my appreciation again for the dedicated support the IAEA team provided for the review.”

The team provided a draft report to the plant management and to the NRA at the end of the mission. The plant management and the NRA will have an opportunity to make factual comments on the draft. A final report will be submitted to the plant management, National Regulatory Authority (NRA) and the Japanese Government after comments are addressed.

Background

SALTO peer reviews are comprehensive safety reviews addressing strategy and key elements for the safe long term operation of nuclear power plants. They complement OSART missions, which are designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. Neither SALTO nor OSART reviews are regulatory inspections, nor are they design reviews or substitutes for an exhaustive assessment of a plant’s overall safety status.

LTO of nuclear power plants is defined as operation beyond an established time frame determined by the license term, the original plant design, relevant standards, or national regulations. As stated in IAEA safety standards, to maintain a plant’s fitness for service, consideration should be given to life limiting processes and features of systems, structures, and components (SSC), as well as to reasonably practicable safety upgrades to enhance the safety of the plant to a level approaching that of modern plants.

More information on SALTO missions can be found here.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts have confirmed that the tritium concentration in the fifth batch of diluted ALPS treated water, which Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) started discharging today, is far below the country’s operational limit.

Experts stationed at the IAEA’s office at the site of the Fukushima nuclear power station (FDNPS) took samples after the treated water was diluted with seawater in the discharge facilities on 19 April. The IAEA’s independent on-site analysis confirmed that the tritium concentration is far below the operational limit of 1500 becquerels per litre.

The corroboration of data will be also conducted in the fifth batch using interlaboratory comparisons involving both IAEA laboratories as well as independent third-party laboratories from China, Republic of Korea, Switzerland and the United States of America – all of which are members of the network of Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA).

Japan is discharging the ALPS treated water from the FDNPS in batches. The previous four batches – a total of 31,145 cubic metres of water – were also confirmed by the IAEA to have contained tritium concentrations far below operational limits.

The IAEA Task Force conducting the safety review of Japan’s release of the ALPS treated water will reconvene on 23 April and conduct its second mission to Japan since the start of the water discharges. It is the next in a series of missions that began in 2021 and will continue throughout the IAEA’s safety review of the discharges. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi visited Japan in March, as part of his ongoing commitment to monitor the discharge of treated water that began in August last year.

The IAEA’s comprehensive report issued on 4 July 2023 found Japan’s plan for handling the treated water to be consistent with international safety standards and that the release as planned would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment.

All reports on sampling, independent analysis, data evaluation, as well as timeline, will be available on the IAEA website.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts said the operator of a Dutch research reactor used for research and radioisotope production has enhanced safety since a previous review mission in September 2021. The team also found the need to address recommendations related to operational radiation protection and commissioning, following major modifications to the research reactor.

The Integrated Safety Assessment for Research Reactors (INSARR) team concluded a follow-up mission to the Hoger Onderwijs Reactor (HOR) in the Netherlands on 18 April to review the level of implementation of the previous recommendations. The four-day mission was conducted at the request of the Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS), the Dutch regulatory body, and was hosted by the operating organization TU Delft Reactor Institute (RID) at the Delft University of Technology. Earlier this month, the 3-megawatt research reactor ended a six-month shutdown for the installation of a cold neutron source, which uses very low energy neutrons to study materials with large dimensions. It has since resumed operation to complete the commissioning of the cold neutron source.

The mission team comprised of two experts from Argentina and India, as well as one IAEA official. They visited the reactor and its associated facilities and observed resumed operations, reviewed documents and held technical discussions with the reactor’s management and operating personnel.

“RID has addressed most of the review recommendations made in 2021 and achieved significant safety enhancement,” said Kaichao Sun, mission team leader and Nuclear Safety Officer at the IAEA. “Efforts remain needed to ensure the highest level of safety during the ongoing commissioning tests, following the recent major modifications at HOR.”

The team assessed that RID has strengthened the organizational effectiveness and operational programmes through:

• Completion of an analysis for RID organizational restructuring options and clarification of roles and responsibilities;
• Revision of operational limits and conditions, with clear distinctions between safety limits and safety system settings;
• Development of an asset management database for the HOR operating programmes and technical modifications; and
• Improvement of emergency preparedness by conducting drills.

The findings from the mission indicate the need for continued safety enhancements in areas that are related to:

• Reassessment and development of a specific set of operational limits and conditions associated with the commissioning stages of testing the new installation of the cold neutron source; and
• Revision of the area classification and zoning systems for radiological protection, considering the laboratories located within the reactor site.

“This INSARR follow-up mission effectively improved the safety awareness. In particular, the extensive and detailed discussions on the safety assessment gave us new insights on this topic,” said Camiel Kaaijk, Head of Reactor Development Department.

The mission team made a new recommendation on the training programme for the HOR reactor manager.

About HOR

The HOR is mainly utilized for neutron physics, medical radioisotope production, neutron activation analysis, materials irradiation, and education and training. The reactor began operating in 1963 and since then has gone through several modifications, including low enriched uranium conversion in 2005 and refurbishment of nuclear instrumentation and control systems in 2010. In December 2021, the HOR resumed operation after a more than two-year shutdown for the modification programme of its systems and components, including cooling circuits and the containment dome. In October 2023, the HOR was shutdown again to finalize the installation of the cold neutron source and entered the commissioning stages in April 2024.

In 2021, the IAEA and RID expanded their cooperation in neutron activation analysis to neutron beam-based methodologies – a key technique in materials research, biology and medicine. RID was first designated as an IAEA Collaborating Centre in 2010 and has since then supported the IAEA’s activities in neutron activation analysis.

About INSARR Missions

INSARR missions are an IAEA peer review service, conducted at the request of a Member State, to assess and evaluate the safety of research reactors based on IAEA safety standards. Follow-up missions are standard components of the INSARR programme and are typically conducted within two years of the initial mission. More information about INSARR missions can be found on the IAEA website.

The IAEA Safety Standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was informed about a further attempted drone attack today on the training centre of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), causing no damage or casualties, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

It would be the third reported attack targeting the training facility recently, following two such incidents last week. The ZNPP told the IAEA team stationed at the site that today’s drone had been “neutralized”, without giving further details.

The IAEA team heard an explosion at the same local time, 10:35am, as when ZNPP subsequently reported the attempted drone attack took place.

The team was denied access to the training centre just outside the ZNPP site perimeter to assess the incident, with the plant citing potential security risks.

It comes less than two weeks after a series of drone attacks significantly deepened concerns about the already precarious nuclear safety and security situation at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP), located on the frontline of the conflict.

“If confirmed, it would be an extremely worrying development. Whoever is behind these incidents, they appear to be ignoring the international community’s repeated calls for maximum military restraint to avert the very real threat of a serious nuclear accident, which could have significant health and environmental consequences and benefit absolutely no one,” Director General Grossi said.

“So far, the drone strikes have not compromised nuclear safety at the site. But, as I told the United Nations Security Council a few days ago, these reckless attacks must cease immediately,” Director General Grossi said.

Earlier this week, a new team of IAEA experts arrived at the ZNPP, crossing the frontline of the conflict on Tuesday to replace their colleagues who had been monitoring the situation at the ZNPP for the past several weeks.

It is the 18th team of IAEA experts at the plant since Director General Grossi established a permanent presence there in September 2022 to help prevent a nuclear accident during the military conflict.    

“Our presence at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is needed more than ever. As I also informed the Security Council, we are getting dangerously close to a nuclear accident. This month’s drone attacks were the first clear violation of the five concrete principles for the protection of the site that I established at the Security Council almost one year ago,” Director General Grossi said.

“In these extremely difficult and challenging times, I’m very encouraged by the strong support and unanimous appreciation of the IAEA’s important work expressed by the members of the Security Council. Everybody agrees that the IAEA’s role is indispensable as we do everything in our power to keep the plant safe and secure,” he added.

In addition to today’s report of an attempted drone attack, the IAEA experts heard several rounds of outgoing artillery fire early in the week, as has been an almost daily occurrence in recent weeks and months. As has also happened previously, artillery fire near the site at one stage triggered the alarms of cars parked near the ZNPP’s administrative building.

“I sincerely hope that our calls for maximum military restraint – both at the IAEA Board of Governors and the United Nations Security Council – will be heeded before it is too late. The dangers facing the plant have not gone away, as shown by today’s reported drone explosion. As we saw on 7 April, the situation can take a sudden and dramatic turn for the worse at any time,” Director General Grossi said.

Whilst all reactors are now in cold shutdown, nuclear safety and security remains fragile. The new IAEA team will therefore continue to monitor the status of the plant against the seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security as well as the five concrete principles to prevent a nuclear accident.

In particular, the team will focus its attention on the extent and effectiveness of ongoing maintenance activities, which are of paramount importance, especially considering the reduced level of maintenance performed at the site since the start of the conflict more than two years ago.

Maintenance activities on the electrical transformers of reactor unit 1 are ongoing, as are those on part of the safety systems of unit 2, which are expected to be completed by the end of April.

The IAEA team was also informed by the ZNPP that its radiation protection programme has been reviewed and is now aligned with the regulatory framework of the Russian Federation. The ZNPP said the radiation exposures to its staff had dropped significantly due to the site’s shutdown state and the absence of major maintenance performed on the six reactor units.

On Sunday, the team carried out a walkdown within the site perimeter. Monitoring adherence to the five concrete principles, the IAEA experts were able to confirm that there were no heavy weapons in the areas they visited. However, they still do not receive permission to visit all areas on site, especially the western side of the turbine halls, the ZNPP cooling pond isolation gate, and the 330 kilovolt (kV) open switchyard of the nearby Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP).

Also over the past week, the IAEA experts visited the reactor building and containment of unit 2 to observe a routine swap of the cooling pumps for its spent fuel pool.

They also looked into the site’s water situation – challenged by last year’s destruction of the Kakhovka dam – and were informed that about 5000m³ of water are pumped from the discharge channel of the ZTPP to the ZNPP cooling pond per day. The 11 groundwater wells built after the dam was destroyed provide a similar amount of water each day for cooling of the reactor units and spent fuel.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the IAEA teams present at the Khelmnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site have reported that nuclear safety and security is being maintained despite the effects of the ongoing conflict, including air raid alarms on most days over the past week.

Scheduled maintenance and refuelling activities are progressing at two of the four reactor units at the Rivne NPP and one unit of the South Ukraine NPP. The Agency experts present at the Chornobyl site conducted a successful rotation on Wednesday.

The IAEA this week completed a separate mission to the Khelmnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs regarding the coordination of its continued presence activities at these sites and a follow-up to previous medical missions last year to support the staff at the nuclear facilities in Ukraine.